The Sound of a Silent Life

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Time passed uneventfully until the first weekend of the new semester. I hadn't seen the hedgehog-headed guy do anything weird over the past few days, but I always felt like he was holding back something big. As for Shouko, she had made friends with several female classmates in the new class, but it seemed like they all had ulterior motives.

"What are you thinking about, Tsuna? So absorbed."

Shouko, who was sitting at the coffee table in the living room peeling an orange, noticed someone staring at the entrance and asked curiously.

Tsuna collected his scattered thoughts, took the orange she handed him, shook his head to indicate it was nothing, and changed the subject:

"I was thinking... are we really going to the park to play hide-and-seek with Shin-chan and the others later?"

As for Nene's surreal house-playing game, by the time everyone had moved up to fifth and sixth grade, she mentioned it less and less. Maybe she had realized just how outrageous that game was.

"Let's go, let's head to the park and see if they're there," Shouko said softly, standing up from the tatami after swallowing the orange in her mouth.

"Okay." Tsuna also stood up and followed her.

After the two changed into their outdoor shoes at the entrance, they shouted in unison toward the dining room:

"Mom/Auntie! We're going out!"

"Be careful! Call me if anything happens," was Shizuka's only reply, followed by the sound of the door closing.

"Do you want to call Yuzuru?" Tsuna, who had just stepped outside, suddenly thought of the black-haired little girl who had taken Hachiko away early that morning. He turned to ask Shouko, who was holding his hand.

"Yeah." Shouko nodded, let go of his hand, and quickly walked over to the front door of her house. After opening it, she shouted inside:

"Yuzuru! Do you want to go to the park and play hide-and-seek with Shin-chan?"

The first to respond was Hachiko's soft bark from the living room:

"Woof, woof, woof!"

Then came Yuzuru's childish voice:

"Yes, yes! I'll take Hachiko for a walk!"

The two waited at the entrance for a while before they saw Yuzuru walk out of the living room with Hachiko, followed by Grandma Ito.

Grandma Ito stood on the wooden corridor, glanced at Yuzuru who was putting on her shoes, and then looked at the two holding hands. She reminded them gently:

"Be careful while playing outside."

"Don't worry, Grandma Ito. I'll take good care of them," Tsuna said, looking up at the kind-faced old woman.

Grandma Ito looked at the mature-sounding Tsuna and chuckled.

"Haha... Grandma believes in you."

Time passed so quickly—these kids were already about to graduate from elementary school.

"Don't worry, Grandma. I'll take care of myself. I don't need Tsuna's help," Yuzuru snorted, cutting off the old woman's nostalgic thoughts. After putting on her shoes, she excitedly shouted to Hachiko:

"Let's go, Hachiko!"

"Woof!"

Hachiko wagged his tail excitedly in response. Yuzuru grabbed his leash and took the first step out of the house.

Tsuna and Shouko exchanged a few more words with Grandma Ito and then closed the door behind them.

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The three of them, along with the dog, were walking when Shouko suddenly stopped and pulled Tsuna's hand.

"Tsuna, look! Nene and the others seem to be over there," she said softly, pointing toward a small stall near the entrance of Futaba Park.

Tsuna looked in the direction she pointed and indeed saw some familiar faces gathered in front of a small shed. Next to it was a banner that read:

"Time Capsule – Send a Letter to Yourself Ten Years in the Future."

It was obvious at a glance that the stall's main customers were younger children and some lovey-dovey couples.

"There are so many people," Yuzuru said, also stopping to look around before continuing,

"And Nene and the others are there too! Let's go take a look!"

Tsuna saw her running ahead with Hachiko and quickly called out:

"Slow down, Yuzuru! Don't get too close to the crowd while holding Hachiko!"

Even though he knew Hachiko wouldn't bite and had a very gentle personality, it was still better to be cautious.

"I know!" Yuzuru waved without turning her head, not slowing down at all.

By the time the two caught up, Yuzuru was already chatting with the people at the stall.

Tsuna looked at Nene and Masao in front of him, glanced around, and frowned.

"Where are Shin-chan and Bo-Chan? I don't see them."

As for Kazama, he didn't even bother asking. That guy's school is awful; it only lets him come home during long vacations.

Nini greeted the two before answering:

"Bo-chan got delayed today because of something his sister did, and Shin-chan got into trouble with Yuki and is being scolded by Aunt Misae, so they can't come out right now."

"...…"

Tsuna was pretty understanding of Bo-chan's situation but didn't know what to say about Shin-chan and Yuki.

"Tsuna, look—what's that?"

Still chatting with Nini, Tsuna was drawn in by Shouko's voice. Looking where she pointed, he saw a long table inside the small shed, filled with large plastic toys of various shapes.

A female staff member in a uniform nearby overheard Shouko and noticed the hearing aid in her ear. She was a little surprised but quickly hid her reaction, walked over, and began signing.

"S-Sister, you can talk. I can mostly hear and read lips..."

Shouko waved her hand and interrupted her, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh... oh, I see!"

The staff member quickly put down her hands, cleared her throat, and explained in a gentle voice:

"Sweetheart, this is a time capsule. You can store small items or write a letter to your future self, then bury it in the ground. In about ten years, you can dig it up and read it. It's like sending a message to the future."

After hearing that, Shouko suddenly got interested.

Writing a letter to her future self... could she ask if she ended up marrying someone?

Even if there was no reply, it would be fun for her future self to read the questions from when she was a child.

She quickly collected herself and glanced shyly at Tsuna, who was chatting with Masao.

"Then, Sister... how much is this one?" she asked the staff member softly after confirming Tsuna hadn't noticed her.

"Don't worry, sweetie. Since you're so cute, I'll give you a discount. They're just 500 yen today—normally they're 800!" the staff member beamed as she spoke.

Tsuna walked over, puzzled.

"Shouko, you want to buy one of these to play with?"

This thing was meant to be buried for ten years. Heck, even after one or two years, you'd probably forget where you put it. In simple terms, it was just throwing something away in a fun way.

Still, if it was about the joy of the experience and the hope for the future, maybe it wasn't so bad.

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